How can an intermediate photographer move from camera basics to taking better photos?
Asked 7/20/2013
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I understand exposure concepts like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and manual mode, but I’m struggling with how to apply them to make stronger images. What are some practical ways for an intermediate photographer to improve beyond the basics?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
6
I would consider myself as roughly fitting into that category. I have a couple main suggestions for you.
Shoot a lot. Doesn't really matter what format it's in, what camera or lens you use, whatever. Just shoot. After shooting, don't look at your photos right away, for the same reason that film directors often take a vacation between finishing a film shoot and beginning editing. Shortly after shooting, you have an emotional attachment to certain images, and that bias can cloud your judgement of them. Step back, wait a while, and then look at what you've got. If you allow yourself to become more objective to your own work, you will often be able to more clearly see the merits and flaws.
Shoot all sorts of different things. Sample many different types of photography. If one scares you more than others, especially try that one. You don't necessarily have to stick with one you don't like, but at least give it a fair, honest try. Even if you end up never doing that style of photography again, you may still learn something valuable from that initial experience.
Force yourself to be creative. One of my favorite ways of doing this is going out shooting with only a single, prime lens. Having a strict limit on focal length often means that getting a particular shot I envision is very difficult, sometimes even impossible. This forces me to stop and think, "Ok, what exactly am I going for here? What is important in this shot, and how can I get it with what I have?" In forcing myself to struggle for the right image, I frequently come up with even better ideas than my initial ones, and I feel like I've grown as a photographer for it.
Originally by user8912. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user8912
13y ago
0
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The main advice is to practice deliberately, not just learn settings.
Shoot a lot, and shoot a wide variety of subjects and situations. Push yourself into challenging conditions—difficult light, backlit scenes, deadlines, or techniques you’re not yet comfortable with, such as off-camera flash. You won’t always succeed at first, but that’s how you learn.
A useful exercise is to limit yourself to one subject and make many different photos of it. Change angle, distance, framing, light, and approach. This forces you to think creatively and helps you see composition and light more clearly.
Also, don’t review your images immediately. Give yourself some time before editing so you can judge them more objectively instead of being attached to the moment. Then study what worked and what didn’t.
Finally, get critique from others, apply it, and repeat. Improvement comes from a cycle of shooting, reviewing, getting feedback, and trying again.
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